Apparatus for the imprinting of dragees

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for the imprinting of dragees wherein the apparatus comprises, in combination, a feed hopper, a rotating cylindrical transport drum having a plurality of receiving apertures adapted to receive dragees from said hopper and to hold dragees, a set of printing rolls disposed on either side of said transport drum to lightly press against both sides of the dragees in the apertures of the transport drum, and inkers for said printing rolls.

United States Patent 1191 Braun Apr. 9, 1974 [54] APPARATUS FOR THE IMPRINTING OF 3,026,792 3/1962 Miskel et a1. 101/37 X DRAGEES 3,601,041 8/1971 Perra, Jr. 101/37 2,931,292 4/1960 Ackley 101/37 5] Inventor: Hans Bralm. llveshelm. Germany 3,286,623 11/1966 Verik'. 101/37 3] Assignee: Boehringer Mannheim GmbH, 1,369,570 2/1921 Stiles 101/37 X ostfach Germany Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey [22] Filed: June 28, 1972 Assistant Examiner-Clifford D. Crowder [211 App] 266,960 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Burgess, Dinklage &

Sprung [30] J I I:(llel1]1lAp|:lC8h0n Priority Data 2135110 [57] ABSTRACT u y many Apparatus for the imprinting of dragees wherein the 52 US. Cl. 101/37 101/366 apparatus COmPYiSCSQ cmbinafim a feed a [51] Int. Cl Bali 17/36 rotating cylmdrical transport r having a plurality [58] Field of Search 101 I36 37 receiving apertures adapted receive dragees f said hopper and to hold dragees, a set of printing rolls [56] References Cited disposed on either side of said transport drum to. lightly press against both sides of the dragees in the UNITED STATES PATENTS apertures of the transport drum, and inkers for said 3,103,166 9/1963 Sawteile 101/37 priming rolls, 3,272,118 9/1966 Ackley 101/37 1,992,347 2/1935 Bartlett 101/37 11 Claims,- 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDA'PR m SHEET 2 UF 2 F IG. 6.

This invention relates to anapparatus and a method on both sides, can readily be converted to a different dragee format, and, in spite of the small floor area it requires, provides space for palletized transport means. The apparatus of the invention meets industrial requirements in regard to precision and safety, and is suitable for imprinting not only dragees but also tablets and capsules.

The apparatus of the invention consists essentially of, in combination, a feed hopper, a rotating cylindrical transport drum providedwith receiver apertures to receive and hold dragees, printing rolls disposed one inside and another outside of the transport drum and pressing lightly against the dragees, and a printing ink supply system tosupply the printing rolls. The receiver apertures may be fitted with projections on the inner side of the cylinder wall which grip only the outer margin of the dragee being imprinted. Between the feed hopper and the printing rolls transparent guiding members are provided on both sides of the drum wall and consist preferably of Plexiglas. When the transport drum is provided with the projections a guiding memher is required only on the outer side; otherwise guiding members are provided on both sides of the drum to prevent the dragees from falling out of the drum. A wiper brush is also located in the feed hopper on the side nearest the printing rolls to aid in introducing the dragee one at a time into the aperture; within the transport cylinder, below the printing rolls, there is provided an. ejector brush to ensure removal of the imprinted dragees. The transport drum is conveniently driven by a disk mounted on a drive shaft (the disk constituting the bottom of the drum) and the printing rolls and the brush are conveniently mounted at the open side of the transport drum; furthermore, the transport cylinder and the printing rolls may be rcmovably fastened with screws to their shafts to be axially removable. The apparatus of the invention also comprises an ink supply system; e.g., two ink reservoirs with 'ink level control and displaceable covers which have openings for gravure rolls and are fastened on by means of tension springs, a receiving hopper with a locking shut-off means, and an opening in the machine frame and rails provided with rollers for palletized transport means. It is desirable to combine the apparatus of the invention with a pneumatic conveyor tube leading to a container holding a supply of the material being imprinted, the whole assembly forming one compact unit.

The invention may be better understood in further detail by reference to a preferred embodiment of the abovedescribed apparatus shown in the appended drawings in which;

FIG. 1 shows the entire apparatus in a front elevation.

FIG. 2 shows the entire apparatus in a top plan view.

FIG. 3 shows the receiving apertures in the transport cylinder.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the area 4-4 of FIG. 2 showing the mounting of the transport cylinder.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view partly broken away of the area 5-5 of FIG. 2 showing the fastening of the rolls.

FIG. 6 shows the arrangement of the system for circulating the printing ink through the entire apparatus.

With particular reference to FIG. 1, feed'hopper l with the wiping brush 3 and the transport cylinder 2, surrounded by Plexiglas guides 4. hold the material being imprinted within the receiving apertures 6 on their way to the printing rolls 5. After printing, the dragees drop through the receiving hopper 9 into the container 12 or, if necessary, they are pushed out of the receiving apertures 6 by the ejector brush roll 8. The machine is driven by the controlled-speed motor 13. The offbearing container 12 runs on rails 11. FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the entire apparatus, especially showing the arrangement of the drive and of the rolls. The motor drives the shaft 14, with the disk 15 welded thereon, by means of a chain drive. In FIG. 3, there are shown apertures 6 for the dragees which are provided with abutments 7 on the inner cylinder side. The methods used for mounting the transport cylinder 2 via disc 15 and shaft 14 and the rolls Son shafts 22 via split collars 20 with set screws 21 may be seen in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 6 shows the arrangement of the closed circulatory system for the printing ink 16 throughout the entire apparatus, supply reservoir, flexible-tube pump, and two ink reservoirs 17 with ink level control system and displaceable covers having openings for gravure rolls and being fastened by tension springs.

The manner of operation of the apparatus of the invention is as follows, with reference to the drawings:

The dragee to be printed are delivered pneumatically through an air tube to the feed hopper l or they are placed therein by hand. The receiving apertures 6 of the rotating transport cylinder 2 pick up dragees in the supply hopper. They can be covered up while the machine is running by a-displaceable grid in the supply hopper. The brush 3 serves as a wiper for introducing dragees one at a time into apertures 6 in cylinder 2. The Plexiglas guide 4 holds the dragees in the receiving apertures 6 on their way to the printing rolls 5. In this section of the transport cylinder the receiving apertures 6 may be inspected to see that they are filled. The dragees are imprinted as they pass the printing rolls 5. The receiving apertures 6 have projections or holding abutments 7 at the inside wall of the transport cylinder.

.These projections prevent the dragees from falling through the apertures into the interior of the transport cylinder. Since it is only the outer edge of the dragees that is engaged by the projections, the highly convex dragees extend into the transport cylinder and are imprinted in the transport cylinder by the printing roll. When they are to be imprinted on both sides, the printing roll mounted outside of the transport cylinder simultaneously imprints the other side of the dragees. In

the case of one-side printing, printing is performed only by the one printing roll while the other operates only as a counter-pressure roll.

Instead of the projections in the receiving apertures, plexiglas guides may also be provided inside of the transport cylinder 2 from the feed hopper to the printing rolls (FIG. 1).

After printing, the dragees drop out of the transport cylinder through the discharge funnel 9 into the container 12.

Because the highly convex dragees extend beyond the surface of the cylinder 2 (FIG. 3), the brush roll pushes the dragees out of the apertures if necessary. It is driven through a chain drive.

The surface of the gravure rolls 18 are wetted with ink in the ink reservoirs. Wipers wipe the ink from the steel rolls again. Ink remains only in the gravure of the rolls whence it is transferred to the printing rolls (e.g., rubber rolls) and from these it is transferred to the dragees. The ink is circulated in the closed system by a flexible-tube pump. The ink reservoirs are emptied through valves into an ink supply tank in which the ink level can be inspected by means of a level indicator.

For cleaning, the printing rolls may be pivoted away from the transport cylinder a distance of about 50 mm. At the same time they are lifted a few millimeters from the steel rolls. The printing rolls are kept in rotation through a gear connection with the steel rolls.

The rubber and gravure rolls 5 and 18 are of cylindrical configuration and they are mounted on the drive shafts 22 and tightened in place with screws 21 contained in slotted collars 20 on the rolls (FIG. 5).

The rolls 5 may be displaced axially from shafts 22 and radially when the machine is being adjusted. The machine is driven by the controlled-speed motor 13. By means of a chain drive the motor drives the shaft with the disk welded onto it. At the same time the motor also drives the steel roll through a chain drive and the steel rolls drive the printing rolls through gears. The transport cylinder and the rolls run in synchronism.

For a change of dragee size or format, the transport cylinder 2, which is fastened to the disk with only three screws, and/or all of the rolls may be drawn off towards the rear and replaced with others within a few minutes. Theposition of the transport cylinder 2 on the disk 15 is fixed by locating pins. The transport disk has apertures through which the rolls disposed within the transport cylinder may be removed in the direction of the transport disk. Palletized aluminum containers may be used as the offbearing containers 12 which are used for intrafactory transportation. No great expenditure of force is required for the removal of the filled aluminum containers from the machine, since the containers run on rails 11 which may also be provided with rollers. The machine does not have to be shut off while the containers are being exchanged, since the dragees may be collected in the outfeed hopper 9 during this period by means of the shutter 10 which pivots about axis 10'.

With this machine, which is virtually fully automatic in operation, a high output may be achieved (about 500,000 dragees per hour) on a small floor surface (approx. 0.4 m including space for palletized transport containers).

This machine for the imprinting of dragees etc. may be made from common metallic materials. The transport cylinder may be made either of metal or of plastic.

It will be understood that the specification and examples are illustrative but not limitative of the present invention and that other embodiments within the spirit and scope of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

It will also be apparent that the term dragee" as used herein is meant to refer to dragees, tablets, capsules, and the like, or other forms of pharmaceuticals or foodstuffs which are amenable to being imprinted by use of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for the imprinting of dragees which apparatus comprises, in combination, feed hopper means, a rotating cylindrical transport drum having a plurality of receiving apertures adapted to receive dragees from said hopper and to hold dragees, a pair of printing rolls parallel to the axis of said transport drum, one roll of said pair positioned on the outside of said drum and the other roll of said pair positioned on the inside thereof, said pair of rolls being adapted to lightly press against both sides of the dragees in said apertures of said transport drum, and means for supplying printing ink for said printing rolls.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said apertures are provided with holding abutments at the inside wall of said transport drum, to engage and retain the outer edges of a dragee in said aperture.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 additionally comprising one curved guiding member disposed on the outside of the transport drum.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising curved guiding members disposed on both sides of the transport drum to prevent fall-out of dragees in the apertures of said drum between the feed hopper means and the printing rolls.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said drum and set of printing rolls is mounted in axially removable fashion.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising gravure rolls for supplying ink from an ink reservoir to said printing rolls.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising brush means near said feed hopper to aid in introducing individual dragees into each aperture.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising brush means to aid in ejecting the imprinted dragees.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for supplying printing ink comprises two ink reservoirs with adjustable ink level in which rotating gravure rolls are partially immersed to convey ink from the reservoir to the printing rolls.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 also comprising outfeed hopper means capable of being intermittently closed to hold a supply of imprinted dragees.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transport drum is a multiplicity of circumferentially arranged rows of said receiving apertures.

l 4 1 II l 

1. Apparatus for the imprinting of dragees which apparatus comprises, in combination, feed hopper means, a rotating cylindrical transport drum having a plurality of receiving apertures adapted to receIve dragees from said hopper and to hold dragees, a pair of printing rolls parallel to the axis of said transport drum, one roll of said pair positioned on the outside of said drum and the other roll of said pair positioned on the inside thereof, said pair of rolls being adapted to lightly press against both sides of the dragees in said apertures of said transport drum, and means for supplying printing ink for said printing rolls.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said apertures are provided with holding abutments at the inside wall of said transport drum, to engage and retain the outer edges of a dragee in said aperture.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 additionally comprising one curved guiding member disposed on the outside of the transport drum.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising curved guiding members disposed on both sides of the transport drum to prevent fall-out of dragees in the apertures of said drum between the feed hopper means and the printing rolls.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said drum and set of printing rolls is mounted in axially removable fashion.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising gravure rolls for supplying ink from an ink reservoir to said printing rolls.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising brush means near said feed hopper to aid in introducing individual dragees into each aperture.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising brush means to aid in ejecting the imprinted dragees.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for supplying printing ink comprises two ink reservoirs with adjustable ink level in which rotating gravure rolls are partially immersed to convey ink from the reservoir to the printing rolls.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 also comprising outfeed hopper means capable of being intermittently closed to hold a supply of imprinted dragees.
 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transport drum is a multiplicity of circumferentially arranged rows of said receiving apertures. 